Wednesday 30 November 2016 11:23, UK
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic reckons Jose Mourinho was only charged by the Football Association because the Manchester United manager kicked the water bottle too well.
Mourinho was sent to the stands during United's 1-1 draw with the Hammers on Sunday, after showing his frustration at the decision to book Paul Pogba for a dive.
Bilic joked that Mourinho's flawless technique in launching the plastic bottle along the touchline at Old Trafford may have helped to get him into trouble with the FA.
Bilic said: "The problem is that he hit that bottle like - well it was a great volley, to be fair. He should have mis-kicked it! He hit it too good."
Pogba went down after a challenge by West Ham captain Mark Noble, with replays appearing to show that no contact was made between the two players.
However, Bilic added: "Why I have sympathy with him is that situation with Pogba, it really looked from our angle - and he was close to me - that it didn't look like a dive.
"It was obvious, and it was a great decision from the referee. But from our point it did not look like a dive."
Bilic cuts a far more placid figure on the touchline than the likes of Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp or Antonio Conte, but he has still fallen foul of officials in the past.
"I was sent off once in a game against Arsenal when I managed Besiktas, in the last minute of the game," he added.
"I gesticulated too much, but the referee was Serbian so he understood me. I apologised after the game."
Bilic will be back alongside Mourinho at Old Trafford on Wednesday night as the sides lock horns again, this time in the EFL Cup, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.
He is set to make changes to his side and hand a chance to some of his summer signings, such as Sofiane Feghouli, Havard Nordtveit and Ashley Fletcher.
"We are going to try the ones who showed a good mentality, good training, good quality and good fitness," Bilic said. "It's a big chance for them."
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